A French connection

Upon arriving at the venue, it was almost difficult for members of the audience to tell when or where the performance began — there was no seating in the dimly lit space, and people dressed in futuristic costumes walked mechanically among them or simply did their own thing.

At that moment of wonder and bewilderment, perhaps only the projections on the wall, showing the name of the performance, Mobius, could reassure them that they had arrived at the right place.

When the show actually began, the audience members could choose where they viewed the performance — stand in the corner of the hall, lean on the banisters upstairs, or walk around following the particular performers they'd like to watch.

The immersive dance performance, Mobius, debuted at the CHAO Bridge Space in Beijing on April 22 as part of the 17th edition of Festival Croisements, an annual event of cultural exchanges between China and France.

This production is also a collaborative project between the two countries, jointly created by the School of Arts and Communication at Beijing Normal University and the Lyon National High Conservatory of Music and Dance in France.

"I prefer to see it as an artistic action rather than just a theater performance or a show," says Xiao Xiangrong, dean of the School of Arts and Communication, who is the project's cofounder and artistic director.